WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami/AP) — A woman walking her bike across a drawbridge that connects the mainland to Palm Beach fell to her death Sunday when it began to rise.
A bystander tried to pull her to safety but lost his grip, officials said.
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The woman was within 10 feet of the barrier arms that halt traffic when the drawbridge started to move, according to police.
“The woman tried to hang on. There was a bystander nearby who tried to help her, but tragically she fell five or six stories below where she died landing on concrete,” West Palm Beach police spokesman Mike Jachles said.
Why the bridge tender began raising the span before it was cleared of pedestrians will be a focus of the investigation, Jachles said. The bridge tender was described as “distraught.”
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The Florida Department of Transportation maintains the bridge, but the bridge tenders are staffed by a private state contractor.
The bridge is equipped with bells and whistles to alert drivers and pedestrians that the drawbridge is going up.
The woman’s name has not been released. The bridge was closed for more than six hours after the accident.
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(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
